Angiogenesis, the process by which new blood vessels are formed, occurs during normal development, reproduction, and wound repair. Aberrant angiogenesis contributes to a variety of pathological conditions including tumor growth, ocular neovascularization, and arthritis.
Chlorotoxin is a peptide found in venom from the Giant Yellow Israeli scorpion Leiurus Quinqestriatus that has been explored pre-clinically as a candidate for targeting gliomas. Compositions and methods (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,905,027; 6,028,174; 6,319,891; and 6,429,187, the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety) for diagnosing and treating tumors have been developed based on the ability of chlorotoxin to bind to tumor cells.